A super soft sugar cookie recipe that is a tried and true favorite. Soft and chewy sugar cookies bake up fluffy then are topped with buttercream frosting for any holiday or party!
Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
I’ve been using this delicious sugar cookie recipe for several years, and these really are the best sugar cookies with a super soft, fluffy and moist texture! If you love soft sugar cookies, try brown sugar cookies, copycat Swig cookies and sugar cookie truffles.
This recipe reminds me of bakery-style Lofthouse cookies my mom bought as a kid, but better! It’s one of my tried and true cookie recipes that is a big family favorite.
Ingredients for Soft Sugar Cookies
I’ve tried numerous ingredient combinations for sugar cookies and 2 secret ingredients for the best soft cookies are sour cream and butter!
Find the printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Unsalted butter and sour cream: Sour cream helps make them super soft and moist, while softened butter makes the outside edges crispy.
- Sugar: A MUST for sugar cookies that adds sweetness and texture!
- Large eggs: Eggs bind and help the dough hold shape.
- Extract: Vanilla extract for rich flavor and lemon or almond extract for additional taste.
- Baking staples: All-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt add structure and gives the sugar cookies lift and rise.
Variations
There are so many ways to make these soft sugar cookies your own!
- Sugar cookie bars: Super soft sugar cookies but in bar form with a sweet flavor, soft base and plenty of frosting and sprinkles.
- Celebrate the occasion: Cut out dough with shaped cookie cutters to match the holiday. Add food coloring to the frosting and festive sprinkles on top.
- Skip the frosting: Roll cookies in colored sugar, granulated sugar or even cinnamon sugar before baking. Fold multi-colored jimmies into the dough like I do in funfetti cake mix cookie recipe.
- No cutting out: Make my no roll drop sugar cookies!
- Half batch. This recipe makes bout 2-3 dozen cookies, so you can easily cut it in half to make less. Or store half of dough in freezer to make fruit pizza.
How to Make Soft Sugar Cookies
The first thing everyone looks for in a sugar cookie is the softness then the flavor, these have both!
- Make sugar cookie dough: In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.Add in eggs, extracts and sour cream then mix until combined. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined.
- Chill: Split dough in two and place in saran wrap dusted with powdered sugar. Refrigerate dough for 1-2 hours.
- Roll dough: Roll out dough on a baker’s mat or parchment paper to about 1/4″ thick. Add up to another 1/4 cup flour if dough is still sticky.
- Cut into shapes: Cut the cookie dough with a cookie cutter that has been dipped into flour.
- Bake: Bake at 350°F for 8-9 minutes, until edges are slightly golden.
- Cool then frost: Allow cookies to cool on pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Tips for the Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
Here are some extra tips to help you make the softest cookies!
- Don’t overmix. Mix the dough until just combined. Over mixing causes them to dry out, and your cookies won’t be as soft and fluffy.
- Chill the dough. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 to 2 hours before cutting shapes to prevent spread in the oven. Just like my easy butter cookies you can also make it a day or two ahead of time.
- Thickness. I like to roll my dough out about 1/4 inch thick. It gives the cookies the perfect width and makes them rise beautifully in the oven.
- Perfectly shaped cookies: Roll out your dough on a baking mat or between two pieces of parchment paper (so you don’t have to peel up the shapes) then dust cookie cutters with powdered sugar or flour and cut out perfectly shaped cookies.
- Cool before frosting. As tempting as it is, let them cool completely before frosting the tops. If they are still warm, the frosting can melt and change texture.
Decorating Soft Sugar Cookies
I love to top these cookies with lots of frosting and sprinkles!
- Buttercream frosting: A light and fluffy buttercream frosting is the perfect compliment. A simple vanilla frosting also tastes great.
- Cream cheese frosting: If you like a tangier frosting, this is a favorite. You will need to refrigerate the cookies due to the addition of the cream cheese. You could also use a sour cream frosting.
- Sugar cookie icing: I especially love using this icing when making Christmas sugar cookies. It’s perfect for decorating, has a beautiful shine and is a bit easier than a royal icing.
Make Ahead and Freezing
- Make ahead: Sugar cookie dough can also be made ahead and kept frozen for up to 3 months. Just wrap the dough in plastic wrap and then stick in a freezer zip lock. Thaw for 2 hours at room temperature to soften before rolling out. You can also keep dough in the fridge and use with 2-3 days.
- Store: These cookies will keep for about 3 weeks, if stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freeze: Store them with or without frosting in the freezer. Just wrap them in plastic wrap and place in a zip top bag for up to 3 months. Just be sure to freeze them the same day you bake them.
More soft cookie recipes include cream cheese cookies recipe, snickerdoodle cookies, gooey butter cookies and chocolate crinkle cookies!
More Easy Cookie Recipes
Browse all
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
Sugar Cookies
Video
Equipment
- Cookie Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter , at room temp
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs , at room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon lemon or almond extract , whichever flavor you prefer
- 1 cup sour cream
- 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
Buttercream frosting:
- ¾ cup butter
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the cookies:
- Cream sugar and butter. In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup butter and 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar. Beat until creamy. Add in 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract and 1 cup sour cream and mix together until combined.
- Dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together 5 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined.
- Chill dough. Split dough in two and press flat in saran wrap (this will make it easier to roll out later). Refrigerate dough for 1-2 hours.
- Cut-out cookies. Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough on a baker's mat to about 1/4" thick. Add up to another 1/4 cup flour if dough is still sticky. Cut with floured cookie cutter.
- Bake. Bake for 8-9 minutes, until edges are slightly golden. Then allow to cool on pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
For the Frosting:
- Combine. For the buttercream, combine 3/4 cup butter, 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3-4 Tablespoons heavy cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a medium-sized bowl. Feel free to add in food coloring. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Frost. Frost buttercream on cooled cookies and serve. :)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe FAQs
It is a balancing act! You don’t want to have too much butter because that will make your cookies to spread when baked. Chilling your cookies is also helpful.
I don’t recommend ever opening the oven, but getting a closer look and feel with a touch from the spatula, you can tell if they still need a few extra minutes. Looking through the glass and using an oven light this will help to see
Usually if the cookie dough is dry or crumbly it usually means the dough was over mixed or too much dry ingredients are added in the dough. To reverse this process add in one to two tablespoons liquid. Use either water, milk, or softened butter to help.
You will want to make sure that the butter is not too soft but also not melted when you are mixing. Once the cookies are baked, you can use a circular cookie cutter and place around the sugar cookie. In a circular motion, circle to the cookie a few times until it begins to make a perfect circle shape.
Categorized as: American, Birthdays, Christmas, Cookies, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Frosted Cookies, Holiday Cookies, Kid-Friendly, Nut-Free, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Your cookies look scrumptious and are so pretty! I was just wondering if the frosting hardens up a bit or does it stay moist? I am wanting to try out both your frosting recipes.
I have a sugar cookie recipe that is very similar to yours, there are just a few differences. I make them a lot and everybody loves the flavor & softness. I do everything you do but I have a problem, everytime I make them they spread to where you can’t always tell what they are. I am going to be making a bunch of diamond sugar cookies for my in-laws 60th wedding anniversary in March for party favors for the guests. Of course, I am going to want these to be perfect because I am a self-proclaimed perfectionist – LOL. Do you have any other tips for me on how to make them stay looking uniform in shape after baking? Also, have you ever used a royal icing instead of buttercream or cream cheese frosting? If so, do you have a good tasting, easy to decorate recipe you would share?
I have found if I make the cookies too thick they tend to lose there shape. I try to make them about 3/8 – 1/4 inch. Hope that helps! Have a great weekend!
A hood way to help your cookies not lose shape is after you cut them out take cookie sheet and place in fridge for about 2-3 minutes before baking. Works like a charm!
Thanks for the tip Laura! :)
Hi! I know it’s been a long time since you asked this but I hope it is still helpful. To avoid cookies from spreading too much don’t add the baking powder. Bye!
Oh! What a fantastic tip! My hubby is a helicopter pilot and I got the cutest helicopter cookie cutter to celebrate, but when I dried to move the cut out dough it failed quickly! Thank you so much for this recipe and the tips! I’m excited to try them!
Ooo the helicopter cookies would be so fun to make! Let me know how you like them. :)
Just pulled some of these out of the oven. Even without the frosting on yet, my kids are loving them! Thanks for the post. One question, half the dough already baked up more than 3 dozen for us. Will the other half freeze well for use later if wrapped tightly in saran wrap?
Glad you liked them Jenni! Yes, you can freeze the other half. Wrap it in saran wrap and then stick in a freezer zip lock. :)
can you do it with out the lemon or almond extract?
Yes you can. It just adds a little punch, but you can’t even taste it.
Thank you for this recipe. I will try it today. I have the best tip for not adding excess flour. Roll out dough in between two sheets of parchment paper, place on cookie sheet and put in fridge. I stack all the dough on top of each other. Then it chills faster and you dont end up with flour filled counter :)
Great tip Kristy! I’ll have to try that one. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the recipes — they sound great! For the frosting recipes, do you use salted or unsalted butter? Thanks!
I typically use unsalted, depends on my mood. ;)
How much do they keep their shape when baked? I don’t like it when my cookies puff a ton and then look like blobs instead of what I cut them out to be.
Thanks.
My cookies didn’t lose their shape. Just make sure to follow the baking tip above. Enjoy!
If you chill the dough again for about 5 min after you cut them into desired shapes, they will keep their shape better.
I’ve been looking for a fluffy sugar cookie recipe….forever!! Going to make these after church tomorrow. Thanks much!
I’m with Gayle..we don’t do margarine at our house…have you tried butter? Does it make them too crispy??
Hi Susan! You can substitute for butter, I have just found it makes the edges a little crispier. Just watch them in the oven. Enjoy!
Hi,
These cookies looks so yummy. I am a first time baker here. Never baked any cookies in my life. I have a three and half year old daughter and we will be baking these cookies for the first time as a valentine’s day treat :)
Can you tell me please what do you use to beat the mixture? Kitchen aid 5 qt mixer or hand hel mixer? Also any other tips for a first time baer? I really have my hopes up:)
Hi Immy! So fun, your daughter will love making them with you. I would say to just take it slow. I used the Kitchen Aid mixer, but you could use a hand held mixer too. Good luck! Let me know how it goes. :)
Ji Jamie,
I am baking your heart sugar cookie with my 3 and half year old. First time baking :) Need your help/ I got the dough in the refrigerator now. I wrapped it with glad press and seal clear wrap. Was I suppose to dust the dough with powder sugar before I refrigerated it? Or do I put the powder sugar before I roll out the dough?
Can you also explain this a little bit please… “”Before rolling out your dough, separate in two sections and wrap dough in saran wrap dusted with powdered sugar””
I am a little confused. After I take the dough out of the refrigerator I dust it with powder sugar and wrap with clear wrap again and roll the dough out while it is in the clear wrap?
I also bought the same baking mat….
Please help…
Is there a reason not to use butter? Margerine is really not a food and is terrible for you. It’s something to be avoided. Also have you tried greek yogurt instead of sour cream? I’ve done that in a cake and it worked great.
You can substitute for butter, I have just found it makes the edges a little crispier. Just watch them in the oven. I haven’t tried greek yogurt, but give it a try. I’d love to hear how they turn out. It would make them a little healthier too. Enjoy! :)
Totally pumped to try out sugar cookies that taste like those Lofthouse ones! And awesome tip with the powdered sugar. I also get dough stuck and they never come out perfect. I’m currently snowed in, so I’ll have to try this this weekend.
They look so yummy! I never thought of dipping the cutter in the powdered sugar, duh! :) I have always done flour but not any more. Thanks for sharing!
OH my these look so good! Pinned for later! :)
Looks Delish! Since we’re already guaranteed a snowday in NE tomorrow this would be a great treat to surprise the girls with while we make our home made valentine’s! Lo
I swear I could eat these right off the computer screen. Great photos, thanks for sharing!
They look so pretty. Wish I wasn’t on a fairly strict diet because when I run across posts like this I just want to jump through my screen and eat one.
I am wondering if you have ever tried butter instead of margarine in the cookie recipe?
Hi Gayle! You can substitute for butter, I have just found it makes the edges a little crispier. Just watch them in the oven. Enjoy!